baskerville



Nov. 18, 1952 B, J, BASKERVILLE Re. 23,582

HAY BALER FEED MECHANISM afge/zi N0 18, 1952 B. J. BAsKERvlLLE HAY BALER FEED MEcHANIsM 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Original Filed Dec. 2 1, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Nov. 18, 1952 B. J. BAsKERvlLLE HAY BALER FEED MECHANISM Original Filed Dec. 21, 1945 Nov. 18, 1952 B. J. aAsKERvILLE HAY BALER FEED MECHANISU Original Filed Deo. 21, 1945 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. Begg/22m@ zasefv/l Reissued Nov. 18, 1952 UNITEDL sTATEs PATENT OFFICE Ill., by The Sperry Cor Fa., assignee poration, New Holland.

Original No. 2,545,188, dated March 13, 1951, Serial No. 636,541, December 21, 1945. Application for reissue Gotober 12. 1951, Serial No.

Claims. (C1. 1mi-142i Matter enclosed in heavy brackets reissue speclilcation;

The present invention relates to hay balers and is more specifically directed to feed mechanism associated with the main baling chamber of the press for the purposes of supplying materials to said press chamber to be acted upon by the main plunger of the press. The structure herein disclosed and described embodies certain improvements and advantageous features which may be incorporated into a baler of the type shown and described in my copending application, Serial No. 531.071. filed April 14. 1944, now Patent No. 2,545,188.,

It is one of the main objects of the present invention to simplify the supplying of baling material to the compression chamber Vof the baler which has heretofore been accomplished with awkward and cumbersome mechanical devices or which has been manually accomplished necessitating the use of men who could be otherwise occupied for more urgent farm work.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a feed mechanism comprising one or more mechanically actuated units which are all driven directly by suitably arranged actuating mechanism driven from the main plunger that operates Within the compression chamber of the baler. l

It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a material-supplying platform which is fed with materials to be baled that are picked up directly off of the ground by a conventional pick-up mechanism that can be continuously operated while the entire hay baler is moving along the ground, such pick-up means supplying the feeding units with hay or the like, making the entire operation of the baler fully automatic and highly efficient and with minimum manual attendance.

Another object of the invention is to provide feed means which accelerates the baling operation thereby considerably reducing the time necessary for baling the materials to be baled by the introduction of the novel feed means for supplying relatively large volume material introduction supplied under an initial compression and packing the main chamber of the press to be subsequently acted upon by the main compression plunger of the baler.

All other objects and advantages embodied in the baler of the present construction will hereinafter appear in the following detailed description having reference to the drawings forming a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fis. 1 is a general plan view Qi' the baler incor- I: Iappears in the original patent but forms no part of this matter printed in italics indicates the additions made by reissue.

porating the feed mechanism for supplying the main chamber of the press with baling material, some parts of the illustration having been broken away and shown in section to clarify certain details of construction therein;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the baler illustrated in Fig. l, showing the main actuating mechanisms for operating the feed means;

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical cross sectional view through the plunger feed mechanism and auxiliary feed chamber as viewed substantially along the line 3-3'in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a detailed cross sectional view through the feed chamber as taken along the line 4 6 in Fig. 3:

Fig. 5 is another transverse vertical cross sectional view through the baler and the feed mechanism substantially as viewed along the line 5-5 in Fig. l;

Fig. 6 is a face view of the ratchet means employed in the drive of one of the actuating means, this ratchet means being interposed in the fork driving means; and

Fig. 7 is a small detailed view diagrammatically illustrating the manner in which the tines of the feed fork are retracted out of the auxiliary chamber of the feed plunger operating mechanism.

Fig. l shows a general view of the press and diagrammatically illustrates aconventional baler having the compression cham-ber l within which the reciprocable plunger 2 operates to compress hay or other material that is being supplied to the chamber I. Plonger 2 is usually actuated through a power drive that connects with a suitable gear mechanism illustrated at 3 adapted for driving a main gear l which spans and meshes with the dual gears 5 and Ii having a crank pin 1 connected therebetween and common thereto for operating the pitman 8 connected with the pin 9 which is carried by the plunger 2. This particular structure is substantially the same as that shown and described in my copendine.r application herelnbefore referred to.

The feed mechanism is generally indicated and best shown in Fig. 1 and comprises a lateral auxiliary chamber I0 having a reciprocable feed plunger I l operating therein, this chamber Ill being flanked by a rotatably mounted fork I2. The fork `l2 is mounted for operation upon a platform i3 forming a material supply zone. and such platform I3 is contiguous with the bottom i4 of the auxiliary feed chamber I0.

A conventional pick-up I5 driven in any suitable fashion is located at the forward end of the baler feed mechanism and engages materials on the ground and moves the same upon the slotted intake end I6 of the platform I3 to be there engaged by the fork I2 and moved into the auxiliary feed chamber I4 to be actuated by the piston Il therein into the main chamber I of the baling press.

Although not shown. it is obvious that the entire feed mechanism may be wheel`supported or suitably connected and trussed with the main portion of the baler frame in any desirable manner.

The plunger Il may be actuated by various types of mechanism. but a preferred construction is illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 for actuating such plunger. Plunger II is provided with a depending bracket I1 that extends through the slot I8 in the bottom Il of the chamber Il and provides a wheel bracket for carrying the pairs of wheels I9 and 2l. 2i and 22. which ride upon suitable tracks 23 and 2l secured to the bottom of the auxiliary feed chamber of the press.

A chain 25 is connected at the opposite ends of the wheel bracket I1 to ears 26 and 21 and extends between the sprockets 2l and 29 pivotally carried on shafts Il and II. respectively. A gear I2 meshes with a pinion l2 that is rotatably carried upon a shaft 3l and a. sprocket 35 is secured to the shaft 34 to drive the latter.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3. a sprocket chain 36 is connected with the sprocket 38 and passes over sprockets ll and SII pivotally carried upon the shafts Il and lII supported by suitable bearings connected with the underside of the main baling chamber framework.

Chain $8 carries a pair of spaced lugs Il and l2 having cooperative engagement with a pin 43 supported upon a bracket M that is connected with a slidable bar 45 mounted for longitudinal movement upon the side of the main baling chamber.

As seen in Fig. ll bar 45 extends toward the forward portion of the baler and is connected to the boss 46 of the bracket 4l forming part of the plunger 2, whereby the plunger and bar l move together during the actuation of the plunger.

As seen in Fig. 2, pin 43 is shown in its retracted position which corresponds with the retracted dead center position of the plunger 2 shown as illustrated in Fig. 1. It should also be noted that the plunger II is disposed in its forward material compression and feeding position shown in Fig. 1 whenever the main plunger 2 is so retracted. Forward movement of the plunger 2 corresponding to the compression stroke thereof, will now move bar 45 and cause pin 43 to move the chain t6 by engagement with the lug Il making the plunger II move outwardly and away from the main compression chamber I through the instrumentality of the gears 33 and 32 which now drive the chain 2l in a direction to so retract the feed plunger II. Motion of the plunger II is stopped in its completely retracted position as gauged by the length of the upper run of the chain 36 which permits the lug Il to circumferentially swing about sprocket 38 into the broken line position illustrated at the right hand portion of the gure. permitting the pin ll to pass out of operative driving contact of the operative compression stroke of the main with the lug and continue on until the full length plunger has been reached.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 5, the cooperative material feed means is the fork l! Wllcl? comprises a rotary framework III pivotally mounted upon a vertical drive shaft II, such framework having arms 52, It and El at the upper portion of the bracket and corresponding arms Il and I1 on the lower portion thereof, the third lower arm not being visible in Figs. 1 and 5. Each pair of vertically aligned arms support a pivotally connected shaft I8 having tines 59. The tines E! together with each common shaft therefor are normally maintained in radially extended positions as shown in Fig. l for operating over and above the platform I3 and for sweeping material into the auxiliary chamber III to fill such chamber.

The normal radial positions of the tines are maintained by means of springs 60 connected and tensioned between the arms of the bracket BII and the individual vertically disposed shafts I0. Pairs of coacting pins 6I and 62 are carried by the shafts 58 and arms of the bracket B0 to normally position the tines of the fork radially outwardly asshown in Fig. 1.

As seen in Figs. 1 and 5. the platform I3 is provided with upstanding guards Ill and 6B. which form a pathway for guiding the materials into. the opening el of chamber Il as best illustrated in Figs. l and 3.

The guard 66 is provided with longitudinal openings I8, $9 and ll, shown in Figs. 3 and 5, to provide slots through which the tines 69 of the fork unit may operate in conveying the material to be baled into the chamber III through the opening 81 therein.

Any suitable drive mechanism may be incorporated for rotating the fork I2, and as shown in Fig. 5, a preferred construction includes a horizontally disposed drive shaft Il connected by means of gears 12 and 13 to the vertical shaft E I, the latter having driving connection with the bracket III. A shock proof or soft connection I4 is interposed between the gear I2 and the shaft 'II to overcome the starting inertia of the fork wheel I2 and to cushion the operation between the drive and the wheel in general. Similar means can also be embodied in the actuating mechanism of the plunger II if desired.

As best seen in Figs. 2, 5 and 6, the shaft 'Il is connected to a ratchet unit 'Il which cooperates with a ratchet wheel 18 secured to and forming a part of the sprocket wheelll. The sprocket wheel 'Il is loosely supported upon the shaft Il and the latter is carried upon the underside of the baler framework by suitable bearing means. The ratchet mechanism is better understood by K referring `to Fig. 8 wherein the dog-carrying ratchet housing is shown keyed to shaft 1I, with the dogs being progressively spaced circumferentlally to engage the teeth of the ratchet 16 of the sprocket wheel 'II without lost motion between these mechanisms.

In Fig. 2, it is seen that sprocket I'I is chain connected with a sprocket 18 by means of the chain 'Iii carrying the lugs BU and III that are identical with those illustrated at 4I and 42, except that the former operate and are arranged in reverse positions. l

Sprocket wheel 'I8 is pivotally supported upon shaft B2 supported from suitable bearings from the underside of the baler frame. An actuating pin 83 is carried upon a bracket 84 that is also suitably connected with the slide bar 45 that connects with the bracket Il of the plunger 2 for reciprocal motion directly with the plunger slmultaneously with and in the same manner as pin 43 hereinbefore described. Several positions 83a and 83h are indicated to show how the pin 83 engages lug BI to move the entire chain 'I8 into the position depicted by the reference numeral 83h thereby rotating shaft 1I a. predetermined amount through the ratchet mechanism 15 to obtain a transmitted movement of one revolution through the gears l2 and 13. This one revolution is timed to return the fork wheel into the position indicated in Fig. 1 wherein one set of tines has engaged an abutment 85 forming a portion of the side wall of the auxiliary chamber I0 and one edge of the opening 6l into such chamber. Thus, the tine structure and the connected arms are revolved so that the tines clear the chamber lil with the tines connected with the arms 54 and 51 just at the point of approaching and entering the opening 6l into the chamber IIJ and with the tines of arms 52 and 55 retracted therefrom. This permits freedom of movement of the plunger Il in synchronism with the fork wheel, and both of the feed units are definitely synchronized with the reciprocable motion of the plunger 2 through the two actuating mechanisms just described as controlled by the pins 43 and 83 as the latter reciprocate together with the ac tuating bar 45 and directly in unison with the reciprocating plunger 2.

lit is also obvious that when the fork wheel I2 is *rotated and the plunger chamber I0 is substantially filled with baling material, that the tines may reverse in action to glide over the excess or partially compacted material Without causingbreakage of any of the fork wheel parts. Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 7, it is to be noted that the tines are arranged and shaped to coact with the abutment 85 so as to cause very little back whip motion within the material piled up within the chamber I0 and that such tines are practically retracted endwise out of the chamber in the manner indicated in the broken line positions shown in Fig. '7. Also, an auxiliary guide wall 88 has been used to hold the tines 59 in their reversed spring stressed positions through the action of the springs 60 until the bracket 50 has rotated into a position wherein the tines may quickly rotate clockwise as viewed in Fig. l into a material engaging and conveying position extending through the slots in the guard wall 68, and into their normal radially outward positions. The quick clockwise rotation of the tines at the point of release from the guide wall `8B swings the tines directly into the material deposited upon the feed end of the platform I3 to move such material toward the chamber In.

Changes in the exact construction, form, arrangement or combination of parts are contemplated as well as the use of equivalent mechanisms in a baler of this invention. The scope of such modifications shall be determined by the language of the appended claims directed to the instant baler.

What I claim is:

l. The combination with a baler having a compression chamber and a reciprocable plunger operating therein, of material feed mechanism having connection with said compression chamber comprising a pair of coacting feed units, one unit for moving the material from a suppbf area into the other of said units, and said other unit having communication with said compression chamber, and synchronized cooperating mech anisms conxi'ected with said reciprocable plunger and said units respectively whereby said latter plunger actuates said umts, said synchronized cooperating mechanisms including reciprocable elements fixed to the plunger to move directly therewith, and further elements connected with each oi said feed units for active operative contact by said reciprocable elements.

2. A baler material feed mechanism in combination with the baler compression chamber and a reciprocable plunger therefor, comprising a receiving platform. a rotatable fork for moving said material over said platform, a feed chamber connected with said platform to receive material therefrom, a feed plunger in said feed chamber. and actuating means connected with said fork and with said feed plunger to operate the same, said reciprocable plunger of said baler having operative means thereon to engage said actuating means to operate said fork and said feed plunger at predetermined intervals.

3. A baler material feed mechanism in combination with the baler compression chamber and a reciprocable plunger therefor. comprising a material receiving platform. a rotatable fork for moving said material over said platform, a feed chamber connected with said platform to receive material therefrom and communicating with said baler compression chamber, a feed plunger'vfin said feed chamber, and actuating means connected with said fork and with said feed plunger respectively to operate each thereof, said reciprocable plunger of said baler having abutment means thereon to directly engage said actuating means to operate said fork and said feed plunger at predetermined intervals. u,

4. Baler feed mechanism for supplying material to a. compression chamber having a reciprocably operated plunger, comprising a platform to receive said material. a rotary fork on said platform. a material feed chamber to receive said material from said platform, said feed chamber being contiguous with said platform, a feed plunger in said feed chamber to move material to the compression chamber, said fork having tines arranged to sweep over said platform and into said feed chamber, and synchronized operative means for actuating said fork and said feed plunger respectively arranged to stop said fork with the tines out of said feed chamber while said feed plunger is actuated.

5. Baier feed mechanism for supplying material to a compression chamber having a reciprocably operated plunger, comprising a platform to receive said material, 9, rotary fork on said platform, a material feed chamber to receive said material from said platform, said feed chamber being contiguous with said platform, a feed plunger in said feed chamber to move material to the compression chamber, said fork having tines arranged to sweep over said platform and into said feed chamber. operative means for actuating said fork and said feed plunger respectively arranged to stop said fork with the tines out of said feed chamber while said feed plunger is actuated, and enacting mechanism connected to move with said reciprocable plunger of the baler and arranged to engage and actuate said operative means for moving said fork and feed plunger in synchronized relationship.

6. In a baler having a horizontal bale chamber, a plunger reciprocating therein, a first feed chamber of closed cross-section communicating with the bale chamber, a first feed unit movable through said feed chamber. mechanism connected with the bale plunger for moving said feed unit through said chamber into and away from the bale chamber respectively during the retmction and compression strokes of the bale plunger in combination with means defining a material supply zone communicating with the first named feed chamber at a location intermediate the stroke of said first feed unit, a second feed unit movable through: said supply zone and means operable on the compression stroke of the bale plunger for moving said second feed unit through said supply zone into said feed chamber when said first feed unit is retracted beyond the juncture of said chambers and said zone said chambers and said zone being disposed in a common horizontal plane with said bale chamber.

7. In a baler having a horizontal bale chamber. and a plunger reciprocating therein, a horizontal feed chamber of closed cross-section communieating with the bale chamber, means defining a material supply zone extending generally parallel with the bale chamber and communicating with the feed chamber, said feed chamber and supply zone lying in a common horizontal plane with the fbale chamber, in combination with a first feed unit disposed for movement through said feed chamber. and into said bale chamber, mechanism actuated from the plunger to cause retraction of the first feed unit away from the bale chamber during the compression stroke of the plunger, and advance of said unit into the bale chamber to move hay thereinto during retraction of the plunger, a second feed unit movable through said supply zone, and actuated from the bale plunger on the compression stroke thereof to move hay into said feed chamber in advance of the first unit when the latter is retracted.

8. In a baler having a horizontal bale chamber, and a plunger reciprocating therein, a horizontal feed chamber extending transversely to and opening at one end into the bale chamber, a material supply platform extending generally parallel with the bale chamber and communicating with the feed chamber, said feed chamber, platform and bale chamber being disposed on a common level. the combination of a first feed unit movable through said feed chamber, a second feed unit movable over said platform and actuated from the bale plunger for movement into the feed chamber during the compression stroke of the plunger, and mechanism for reciprocating said first feed unit in a path intersecting the path of said plunger. and in timed relation to the movements of said second unit and the plunger to avoid collision therewith.

9. In a baler having a plunger reciprocating in a bale chamber, and a feed unit movable into and out of said chamber through a feed opening in a wall thereof, a first endless flexible drive element operatively mounted on said bale chamber with one run extending parallel to the movement of said plunger and adapted to be connected to the plunger for movement therewith. a second endless flexible drive element operatively mounted on said baler with one run extending parallel with and connected to said feed unit, means interconnecting said drive elements for simultaneous movement responsive to movement of the bale plunger, and a second feed unit operative to supply material into the path of reciprocation of said first mentioned feed unit.

10. In a baler having a plunger reciprocating in a bale chamber, and a feed unit reciprocablc into and out of said chamber transversely to the plunger movement, flexible drive means having runs extending in a number of different directions operatively supported on said baler, one run of said flexible means extending parallel and adapted to be connected to said plunger for movement therewith, another run of said flexible means extending parallel to and being connected with said feed unit to cause movement of the latter simultaneously with movement of the plunger, and a second feed unit operative to supply material into the path of reciprocation of said first mentioned feed unit.

11. A. baler comprising a bale chamber, a plunger reciprocating therein, a first feed unit and means reciprocating same in substantially opposite phase to the plunger in a path intersecting the plunger path, in combination with a second feed unit actuated from the plunger for movement into the path of reciprocation of the first feed unit during each compression stroke of the plunger, said plunger and said feed unit all moving in a common plane.

12. In a baler having a horizontal bale chamber, and a plunger reciprocating therein, a horieontal feed chamber of closed cross-section communicating with the bale chamber, means deflning a material supply zone extending generally parallel with the bale chamber and communicating with the feed chamber, said feed chamber and supply zone lying in a common horizontal plane with the bale chamber, in combination with a first feed unit disposed for movement through said feed chamber and into said bale chamber, mechanism actuated from the plunger to cause retraction of the first feed unit away from the bale chamber during the compression stroke of the plunger and advance of said unit into the bale chamber to move hay thereinto during retraction of the plunger, a rotany feed unit in said supply zone and operating on the compression stroke of the bale plunger to move hay through said parallel supply zone into said feed chamber in advance of the first unit when the latter is retracted.

13. A baler comprising a bale chamber, a plunger reciprocating therein, a first feed unit and means reciprocating same into and from the path of the plunger transversely and in opposite phase to the plunger reciprocation, and a second feed unit actuated from the plunger for movement into the path of reciprocation of said first feed unit during each compression stroke of the plunger.

THE SPERRY CORPORATION. Assignee of Benfamin J. Baskerville, Deceased, By GEORGE C. DELP,

Vice President.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the me of this patent or the original patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 559,303 Miller et al. Apr. 28, 1896 2,248,519 Thompson July 8, 1941 2,355,645 Haase L Aus. 15, 1944 2,362,881 Russell Nov. 14, 1944 2,405,888 Crumb Aug. 13, 1946 

